Casse Has Derby Aspirations for 2-year-olds

Norman Casse, chief assistant to his father, trainer Mark Casse, can't help but dream about the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) after two big wins on the Nov. 28 card at Churchill Downs with John Oxley's Airoforce in the Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II)) and Conquest Stables' Conquest Big E in a first-level allowance/optional claiming event.

 

"It's just an exciting time for us," Casse said. "We're excited to be a part of two good horses that are owned by two really good owners. Anytime you have any type of big 2-year-old—even if they haven't started—you hope that they would put you in a good position where you can at least map out a plan to get them to the Kentucky Derby.



"We know the reality, and we're still a long way away and they still have to continue to get better, but all indications show that they're good horses and we have something to be excited about going into (spending the winter at) Palm Meadows (Training Center in Florida)."



NOVAK: Airoforce Splashes Home in KY Jockey Club

 

Casse realizes the importance of keeping Derby hopefuls sound during this stage of the game and feels optimistic that his two winners won't have any issues.



"Thankfully these two horses—knock on wood—don't require as much work and they just come out and train well every day," he said. "I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that they're so athletic and they move so well that they aren't hard on themselves. If they can continue to do that, it should be pretty easy to do. We're going to have to do what it takes training-wise to get there, because when you run in these Derby preps, they have to be ready to go.



"Some horses are just prone to injuries than others. You can't baby Derby horses. If you baby Derby horses, they won't be good enough to run against the best horses in their class. So to be a legit Derby horse, you have to have a horse that's sound and can go through the rigors of the training that it takes to get to the Derby."



This summer, Casse sent a string of horses to Saratoga Race Course for their annual summer meet but Airoforce stayed at Churchill.

 

"He was a little farther behind, so by the time he came from our farm to the racetrack, it was too late to think about Saratoga," Casse said. "That may have ended up being a blessing in disguise for him. He got to train here all summer. Churchill is a really good place to train during the summer. People take it for granted, because all the Saratoga horses get all the hype. It's really easy to say looking back now, but he was touting us all off."

 

Both Airoforce and Conquest Big E are scheduled to leave for Palm Meadows Dec. 1, along with the rest of the Casse barn.

 

"They'll probably get a couple of weeks of just hanging out in the round pin," Casse said "They won't do any serious training for the rest of the year."